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Text model · Gemma

Gemma 2 9B: RAM and VRAM requirements

Gemma 2 9B needs about 7.3 GB to run at Q4_K_M (the Q4_K_M GGUF file is ~5.76 GB to download; KV cache and overhead add the rest), or about 11.3 GB at Q8_0. The lightest hardware that runs it is Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB).

Gemma family · 9B params · released Jun 2024 · 17.2M Ollama pulls · LMArena Elo 1266.

Shopping for hardware? See what runs Gemma 2 9B →

License Gemma · Conditional ↓ 396.8K/mo ♥ 844 on HuggingFace
Q4_K_M GGUF
5.76 GB
Q8_0 GGUF
9.83 GB
Memory @ Q4 (4k)
~7.3 GB
Context
8 k

Q4_K_M and Q8_0 are GGUF download (file) sizes. Memory @ Q4 includes the KV cache and overhead, so it runs larger than the file on disk.

Will it run on your device?

Gemma 2 9B runs on 33 of 40 tracked devices at Q4_K_M.

31 run well 2 tight fit 7 too small
Fit check Q4_K_M
Yes, it runs fast
needs 7.3 GB usable 10.5 GB
See the full breakdown
$ollama run gemma2:9b

Memory breakdown

Weights (Q4_K_M)5.76 GB
+
KV cache (4k)0.7 GB
+
Overhead0.8 GB
=
Total7.3 GB

How context length changes it

4k context ~7.3 GB 32k context ~12.4 GB 128k context ~29.6 GB

Longer context grows the KV cache quickly: Gemma 2 9B needs ~7.3 GB at 4k but ~29.6 GB at 128k, which can push it past a device that fits it at a short context.

Speed drops too: every token re-reads the KV cache, so at 128k context Gemma 2 9B generates at roughly ~20% of its short-context speed. How this is estimated.

Benchmark scores

LMArena · chat (elo)

#10 of 16 ranked · Human-preference Elo from LMArena's blind head-to-head votes.

1266

Sourced third-party benchmarks for the full-precision Gemma 2 9B, not a specific quant. See the full leaderboard.

Quantization sizes

GGUF quantson disk
Quantization Size on disk
Q2_K 3.8 GB est
Q3_K_M 4.4 GB est
Q4_K_M (default) 5.76 GB
Q5_K_M 6.4 GB est
Q6_K 7.4 GB est
Q8_0 9.83 GB
FP16 18 GB est

Lower quant = smaller and faster, slightly lower quality. Q4_K_M is the common default.

Run it

Ollama
$ ollama run gemma2:9b
llama.cpp
$ llama-cli -hf bartowski/gemma-2-9b-it-GGUF:Q4_K_M
LM Studio
$ lms get bartowski/gemma-2-9b-it-GGUF

Which devices can run Gemma 2 9B?

Apple Silicon Macs

RAM-only laptops

iPhone & iPad

Android

NVIDIA GPUs

AMD GPUs

Same job, different size

Pick by what fits your memory: step down to free up VRAM, or step up if you have headroom.

Next size down Granite 4.1 8B 8.8B Next size up Falcon3 10B 10B

Similar models

Head-to-head

FAQ

How much VRAM or RAM does Gemma 2 9B need?

At Q4_K_M, Gemma 2 9B needs about 7.3 GB (weights ~5.76 GB + KV cache + overhead) at a 4k context. At Q8_0 budget ~11.3 GB.

What is the Q4_K_M GGUF file size of Gemma 2 9B?

The Q4_K_M GGUF file is about 5.76 GB to download, and the Q8_0 GGUF is about 9.83 GB. That is the weights file on disk; to run it you also need room for the KV cache and overhead, so budget ~7.3 GB of memory at Q4_K_M.

Can Gemma 2 9B run on a laptop?

Gemma 2 9B is large; you need a 24 GB+ GPU or a 32-48 GB Mac at Q4_K_M.

Can I use Gemma 2 9B commercially?

Conditionally. Gemma Terms of Use apply to commercial use.

Understand the numbers

Short guides to the ideas behind Gemma 2 9B's memory and quant figures.

Released June 27, 2024. Uses sliding window attention with 8K context. Ollama default tag shows 5.4GB; bartowski HF repo gives precise 5.76GB Q4_K_M and 9.83GB Q8_0.

Sources

Last validated 2026-08-03. Memory figures are estimates. See methodology.